UK Theatre Network

It goes without saying that Agatha Christie is ‘Queen of the Whodunnit’ and a literary force to be reckoned with. Only the Bible is known to have outsold her collected sales of roughly four billion copies of novels. ‘The Mousetrap’ is now the longest-running play in the world and it has been performed at St. Martin’s Theatre in the West End of London since 1952.

Following the success of ‘The Hollow’, ‘The Unexpected Guest’, ‘And Then There Were None’ and ‘Spider’s Web’, the Agatha Christie Theatre Company presents the next instalment in the highly acclaimed series, Christie’s undisputed masterpiece, ‘Witness For The Prosecution’, under the direction of Joe Harmston.

Having originally began its life in 1925 as the short story ‘Traitor Hands’, ‘Witness For The Prosecution’ only became a play when, in 1953, Peter Saunders, the producer of ‘The Mousetrap’ convinced Agatha Christie that the piece would adapt well to the stage. After detailed research on all the legal aspects, she wrote the play quickly and it opened on October 28^th in London. The success of the London production was swiftly followed by a production on Broadway and then, in 1957, by the celebrated Billy Wilder film starring Marlene Dietrich, Tyrone Power and Charles Laughton.

The story begins when Emily French, an ‘elderly’ woman who recently left her considerable estate to the handsome and charming young Leonard Vole, is found dead. Though he strongly protests his innocence, all the circumstantial evidence points towards him and Leonard (Ben Nealon) quickly becomes the prime suspect. His plea hinges not only on the testimony of his German wife Romaine (Deborah Grant), but also on the skill of the renowned barrister, Sir Wilfrid Robarts QC (Denis Lill).

Ben Nealon, who will be recognised by many for his role as Lt Forsythe in ‘Soldier, Soldier’, is excellent as the plausible and slightly naive Vole and quickly has the audience rooting for him. Deborah Grant (‘A Bouquet of Barbed Wire’ and ‘Not Going Out’) grabs the part of Romaine with both hands and is magnificent as the frosty foreigner. Denis Lill is brilliantly blustering as the feared and respected barrister.

But this is a production that boasts perfect performances right across the board from a stellar cast. Robert Duncan (‘Drop The Dead Donkey’) as the affable solicitor, Mr Mayhew contrasts well with the sometimes irascible Robarts, whilst Mark Wynter, as his courtroom adversary, Mr Myers QC drives him to distraction with his constant interruptions and annoying mannerisms. Comedy relief comes in the form of Elizabeth Power (‘EastEnders’) as Janet McKenzie, Miss French’s bitter housekeeper, and Hannah Redfern as Greta, Sir Wilfrid’s ditzy secretary.

The stunning set, designed by Simon Scullion, is almost a character in itself, the attention to detail is exquisite and, combined with the authentic 1950s costumes by Brigid Guy, lighting design by Douglas Kuhrt and sound design by Ian Horrocks-Taylor, a powerful atmosphere is evoked that really sets the tone of the piece.

The dialogue is beautifully written and harks back to an era when words were chosen to employ and convey meaning, rather than just strung together as they are nowadays. The cast, seeming to realise this, never waste a single word or carelessly throw away a wonderful line.

Christie’s London of the 1950s is a world where everyone seems to be harbouring a dark secret, and this gripping courtroom drama will keep you guessing until the final, fatal moment. Don’t miss it!

Steve Burbridge. 

Runs until Saturday 20^th November 2010.